HoneyDarlin'
by darthsydious
Summary: One-shot about McCoy and Uhura, there's some awkward fluff at the beginning, otherwise just cuddly bff. T as always to be safe.


_Honey/Darlin'_

They only kissed once in their entire relationship, not a peck on the cheek, because they still shared those after a night of cards and drinks, or even just sitting and talking. No, a real kiss. It was their first year at the academy. It was after finals, she'd been cramming for almost a month, and now all she wanted was to have a nice relaxing night at the bar, meet up with friends and have a few drinks. That's when that cocky Jim Kirk and the cynical Doctor he was always hanging around with came into the bar. Gaila immediately ordered two Black Holes and sidled up to Jim, tugging him to the dance floor, pressing a drink in his hand. The doctor just slid into an empty stool next to her and ordered up a drink. He saw her glass was empty and asked her what she'd have. It wasn't a pick up, just an honest question, what did she want to drink? She grinned and ordered a shot of Jack.

"I'll take it." He said once the bartender set down the tabs.

"You don't have to." She said.

"Yeah, but your friend I see put her last three on your tab. Besides if you'll sit and drink with me a bit, I don't mind paying." So she stayed. He actually asked her what she was studying, and not because he was trying to pick her up. Nyota was genuinely shocked when she realized that he was simply talking. He only wanted conversation. Not a come-on, not a date, not a one-night-stand. Their topics ranged from entertainment to home-towns, to classes, teachers, friends, the uncomfortable uniforms and even rumours that circulated about them. That proved a touchy subject for both of them, so it was quickly dropped.

"Gettin' crowded in here." He said after a few hours. She hadn't noticed until he'd mentioned it. She looked around, noticing that a que had formed at the bar, bodies were pressed together, people were barely squeezing through the crowds to order drinks, waitresses were carrying the trays above their heads it was so packed. Doctor McCoy took his jacket which he'd placed on the bar and hung it on his arm. "Best be going." Uhura glanced around, Gaila was nowhere to be seen, neither was Kirk. "Well, come on, I'll see you home." He stopped and looked at her "That is if that's where you're going."

"Yeah." She yawned hugely, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. He let her go before him, a hand on the small of her back so they wouldn't be separated in the crowds.

Out in the cool autumn air, Uhura shivered. He noticed and quickly set his jacket over her.

"Sorry, I'm out of practice." He muttered, she recalled one of the bigger rumours about him, marriage ending in an extremely bitter divorce.

"So, which way are you?" she asked, her arms wrapped around herself, his jacket tucked securely about her skinny frame. Whatever cologne he used was nice, she decided. Not overwhelming, or one of those nasty pine-ey scents guys think girls go nuts for. This one was a little old-fashioned maybe, with a hint of spice to it. It smelled like one that actually came in a nice bottle, instead of one out of a can with the moving images of girls attacking a guy liberally sprayed with something. Classic and gentlemanly. That was what she decided it was, it suited him.

"All the way down the path, third from the Officers Quarters." He said, and she realized he was telling her where he and Jim stayed.

"Huh. Me and Gaila are one from you then." she said and they started down the sidewalk. The sky was clear, and there was no moon.

"Makes you wonder don't it?" he said as they walked, looking up at the sky.

"About what?"

"If life's all it's cracked up to be. If anything we do, even if we kill ourselves over it, if in the end it really matters."

"Of course it does." Came her simple reply. He looked at her with that look she'd seen him give Jim on a few occasions.

"Not always." She stopped walking, so did he.

"You're a very singular man Leonard McCoy." She said before she started again, and he quickly caught up with her, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"And you're an ambitious woman Nyota Uhura." He replied and she blushed.

"You know you're only the second guy here who knows my name?" he raised his eyebrows.

"Jim still doesn't know it?"

"Nope. And don't you dare tell him either."

"I won't." he said "I may hint that I know something, but I won't tell." She laughed then.

"Tell me something, just one thing."

"Shoot." He said.

"Was your ex-wife really bad as they say?" he straightened instantly, a frown quickly spread over his features.

"Who says?"

"Just Jim." She said, "I promise. I was just wondering-"

"Guess everybody knows huh?" Something flashed in his eyes, so many emotions that Uhura felt herself aching to say something to ease his sorrow.  
>"Well she's gone now." She said dumbly, and kicked herself inside for saying something so stupid and obvious.<p>

"Yeah." He said. "Thanks for drinking with me tonight. Have to do it again some time."

"Sure." She said, "Oh, this is me." She said, "Thanks for walking me home." He shrugged,

"Wasn't much really." He said. He realized as they stood in the hallway they both smelled of liquor, and that he was somewhat drunk, though not completely inebriated. She was too, apparently, because before she stepped into her dorm, she kissed him. Must've been the Jack talking, because he kissed her back.

It wasn't a bad thing, he was easy on the eyes, and he'd been nothing less than a gentleman all evening. Her hands cupped his face, warm and soft. His hand went awkwardly to her waist; his other was holding her elbow for some strange reason. In a moment though he pulled away, somewhat out of breath and bewildered, still, a pleased smile slowly formed.

"Well." He rubbed the back of his neck and she laughed, seeing him blush. "I'm out of practice darlin', sorry."

"I like you Leonard McCoy." She said, "And I wish I could understand why you're in such a funk half the time."

"Maybe someday I'll tell you." He said, "I did mean it, I'd like to go have a drink again with you."

"Okay." She said. "Ask me."

"Alright." He said "How about dinner?"

"Dinner?" she questioned, "Sounds great."  
>"It does?" he was actually shocked, and she wondered just how cruel his ex-wife had to have been to make him surprised that a person of the opposite sex would want to have dinner with him. "I mean great! Friday, say, 1900?"<p>

"I'll be ready." She said, "Goodnight Leonard." She slipped into her dorm, and the door shut behind her.

"Goodnight, Nyota."

The next morning in class, she sat next to him. They didn't exchange those sappy looks that Jim and Gaila did, rather he told her funny stories, and she helped him with his pronunciation on a few words he had trouble with until the Instructor came. At lunch they sat on the quad and traded notes. They planned a study night for Wednesday. Wednesday night came and they ended up having a glass of wine with their PADDS, sharing family histories and trading drink recipes.

Their first dinner was a comfortable eatery tucked into the older part of San Francisco. Both of them found it much easier, having spent time together beforehand, to open up. It wasn't until the walk home that he explained just what went on with his marriage. With anyone else, for a first date, she would have been extremely uncomfortable. But she had wanted him to open up to her about it. He told her all about what had gone wrong, why he'd turned to Starfleet as a last resort, and that he was slowly realizing that while the divorce was painful, Starfleet may have been the best thing for him.

"Why is that?" she asked,

"Well, I got my medical degree, so I only have to take the medical refresher courses, and I'm free to take whatever classes I want, I got my buddy Jim with me, and you." He stopped them in the path, "Guess I'm trying to say that I'm glad I met you. You're the only person besides Jim that knows, really knows about my ex-wife. I think I told you more than I told him too."

"Women are better listeners."

"You never met my ex-wife." He said deadpan and she laughed. They arrived at her door, "Right." He said, "Next time, we talk about something other than my problems." He grinned devilishly "Like yours."

"Not funny, and what do you mean next time? Are you asking me out again?"

"If you want to." He said. "I like the company, yours especially."

"I like you too." She said smiling. "Sure I'll go again."

"Same time?"

"Good to me." He quickly pecked her cheek before leaving her door.

"Hey, you want to come in for coffee?" he smiled and shook his head.

"Thanks anyway darlin'." And he started down the path.

Now of course, they didn't go on dates, they just went to the local bar to spend time together; it was with her "Vulcan Friend" as Leonard said that she went out to dinner with and kissed on the lips. He was glad for her, and did his best to keep out of that relationship. He still called her darlin', and she called him honey, just because they could. They weren't suitable for lovers, and deep down, both of them had perhaps known that. But without that first kiss, they might've never gone on that first date, which inevitably led to the second and third, when he finally told her that he wished they could just be friends. She confessed it was what she wanted as well, the relief apparent on their faces. They spent that night at her apartment, Bones jokingly referred to it as "their first time", because it was their first all-nighter together. They made coffee, played cards, got drunk and made an unholy wreck of her dorm room. They'd shared so much in that one night.

What made Leonard McCoy appeal so much to her as a friend wasn't just that he felt relaxed enough in her company to prove to her that he knew how to swing-dance, or that he actually _listened_ when she spoke, but that he told her what bothered him, something that he'd never done with anyone. Sure, he'd told Jim something's about his marriage, and even a little of Joanna. But not in the way that he spoke to Nyota. There was something more in the way Leonard spoke to her, of complete trust and respect for her. She felt like a lady, and he saw fit that she was treated like one. She found it easy to speak with the doctor, easy to listen to him, easy to respect him and be a loyal friend to him. Even after she became romantically involved with Spock, their friendship was steadfast. There was something more to it than simply enjoying the other's company. A bond that couldn't exactly be described.

It was one of their all-nighters, a few days before Jim would be taking his Kobayashi Maru test, and they were spending the night in her apartment, usually a safer haven than his dorm room, as Jim was always bringing someone back with him. Leonard sat on the floor, leaning against the foot of her bed, a cup of coffee by his arm, and an empty shot glass at his feet. Uhura leaned against a small hassock, her long legs draped over his lap.

"You know what darlin?"

"What's that honey?"

"You put up with an awful lot from me, seems like every time I come here, I start gettin' teary over something."

"Hmm."

"I'm gonna miss you after graduation." She smiled, taking his hand.

"Where do you think they'll assign you?"

"Probably some disease infested freighter, or a station way out on the outskirts of the quadrant. You'll be on the _Enterprise_ of course." She grinned, looking at her lap.

"None of that's for sure yet…" she said,

"Sure it is. You'll be on the _Enterprise_." He said matter-of-factly

"Okay." She said, rolling her eyes and laughing.  
>"I mean it." He said,<p>

"On two conditions." She said smiling,

"Shoot." He said leaning his head back on the bed.

"That I'm Chief Communications Officer," he nodded at the ceiling.

"Naturally darlin'."

"And you're Chief Medical Officer." He smiled then, lifting his head to look at her, she shrugged "hey, if I'm going to be on the flagship of Starfleet, I want to know that we're under the best medical care around."

"Well…" he said, and that was all, he blushed a little, looking at her feet on his lap. "We'll just have to see."

"Guess so." It was quiet for a while, they stayed as they were, reclining against the bed and hassock. He patted her legs.

"I love you darlin'." She turned her head back to him, a lazy smile upon her lips. He didn't need to explain how he meant it. She understood.

"I love you too honey."


End file.
